Texas Basketball: 5 keys to victory vs Kansas State

Texas basketball continues with conference play on Tuesday night as the Kansas State Wildcats (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) travel to the Moody Center for the first time. The game is set to tip at 8:00 PM local time and will be shown on Longhorn Network.

Both the Longhorns and the Wildcats opened conference play on Saturday with wins. Texas was able to go up to Norman and hold on for a 70-69 win over the Sooners thanks to late-game efforts from Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice. 300 miles north in Manhattan, the Wildcats were pushed to overtime but were able to top then-No. 24 West Virginia 82-76.

Something must give on Tuesday night in Austin as a pair of 12-1 teams square off.

Let’s look at the five keys to a Texas basketball victory over Kansas State.

Keys to victory for Marcus Carr and No. 6 Texas basketball vs. Keyontae Johnson and Kansas State

1. Marcus Carr must stay hot

Marcus Carr has been the unsung hero for the Texas Longhorns this season. The fifth-year senior, and second-year Longhorn, is averaging 17.5 points and 4.1 assists while shooting a blistering 45.5 percent from deep.

Over the last five games, Carr is averaging 23.2 points while draining 21 of his 34 (61.2 percent) three-point attempts. He has won Big 12 Player of the Week twice over those three weeks.

Although he *only* scored 13 points in the win over Oklahoma, none were more significant than his bucket with 48 seconds left to give the Horns a 64-62 lead.

Carr has been the one consistent cog in a Texas offense averaging 85.2 points in five games under Rodney Terry. Look for the Horns to turn to him early and often against a Kansas State defense susceptible to big-scoring games from opposing guards.

2. Contain Keyontae Johnson

Over two years, Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court as a then-Florida Gator in a rivalry game versus the Seminoles. After sitting out for a season and a half, George announced his intentions to transfer to Kansas State and continue his collegiate basketball career.

His return to the court is no small feat, but the 6’6″ Oak Hill Academy alum has done more than just return to playing. Johnson has emerged as one of the best players in the Big 12 through 13 games in the 2022/23 season.

Johnson is averaging 17.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three. He is a three-level scorer who puts the ball in the bucket in various ways.

I am intrigued by how Coach Terry and the Horns will defend Johnson. I would expect Timmy Allen to open the game with the defensive assignment, but I would like to see Dillon Mitchell’s length used to help disrupt his rhythm. That said, it will take a team effort to keep Johnson in check on Tuesday night.

3. Protect the basketball

Kansas State does a phenomenal job of pressuring the basketball and forcing turnovers. Their defensive turnover percentage of 24.4 percent is ranked 17th nationally.

Head coach Jerome Tang preaches an aggressive style of defense that starts with his guards pressuring the ball deep into the backcourt. The Wildcats do an excellent job at disrupting offensive flow by making seemingly simple passes, difficult.

If Texas allows the Wildcats set up their half-court defense, they may be in for a long night on the offensive end.

In five games under Terry, the Longhorns have done a phenomenal job of pushing the ball and getting into their offense early into the shot clock. This becomes paramount on Tuesday night.

4. Take and make the three ball

Although the Longhorns’ offense has not relied on the three-ball this season, it certainly helps when they have shot the ball well from deep. In the five games Texas has hit at least 38 percent from long range, they are 5-0 and averaging 86 points per game.

The Kansas State defense is one of the best in the country at guarding the arc. They have done a phenomenal job of running shooters off of the line; forcing guards to drive to the rim where Nae’Qwan Tomlin and David N’Guessan are waiting to swat shots. Wildcat opponents are knocking down only 5.5 threes (28th nationally) on 17.9 attempts (26th nationally) per game.

Texas has been adept at getting open three looks due to how well they share the basketball. That will become all the more important when a big part of your opponent’s game plan is to limit the number of threes you take.

5. Keep the Wildcats off the offensive glass

Kansas State has an offensive rebound percentage of 33.4 percent, ranking 54th nationally and fifth in the Big 12. In their overtime win over West Virginia on Saturday, the Wildcats tied a season-high with 13 offensive boards.

They typically do not send extra bodies at the offensive glass, but  Nae’Qwan Tomlin, David N’Guessan, and Johnson will always be crashing. The trio is tall, and long, and has a nose for the basketball. They are combining for 6.6 offensive rebounds per game.

If Texas can limit the Kansas State offensive possessions to one-and-done, they will give themselves a significant advantage in this game.